Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice is a major government department, at the heart of the justice system. We work to protect and advance the principles of justice. Our vision is to deliver a world-class justice system that works for everyone in society.
Secretary of State
Robert Buckland
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Alex Chalk - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)Lord Wolfson of Tredegar - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Information Resources: Departmental Overview 2019-20: Ministry of Justice - Ministry of Justice Annual Report and Accounts 2019 to 2020 -
Latest News (from Department Twitter Feed)
- 8 Apr 2021, 11:04 a.m.
- We’re giving judges the option to use Whole Life Orders (WLOs) in more cases. Our justice reforms include: - A WLO as the default sentence for the premeditated murder of a child. - Reducing the WLO minimum age to 18 in exceptional cases. More: https://t.co/0BFI7tHsb4 https://t.co/QlUhWeeDK3 - Link
- 7 Apr 2021, 12:03 p.m.
- Click here to read more about Mo's story 👇 https://t.co/N40lXeld68 - Link View All Ministry of Justice Tweets
Ministry of Justice Commons Appearances
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:- Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
- Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
- Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.
Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Mar. 16 | Oral Questions | Oral Answers to Questions |
| Nov. 20 | Topical Questions | Topical Questions |
| Jul. 24 | Urgent Questions | Feltham A Young Offenders Institution |
| Mar. 09 | Written Statements | Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill |
| Apr. 13 | Westminster Hall | Criminal Cases Review Commission |
| Mar. 03 | Adjournment Debate | Sexual Offences Act 2003: Positions of Trust |
Ministry of Justice - Bills and Acts in the Current Session
A bill to make in relation to marriage and civil partnership in England and Wales provision about divorce, dissolution and separation; and for connected purposes
This Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday 25th June 2020 and was enacted into law.
To require the Parole Board to take into account any failure by a prisoner serving a sentence for unlawful killing or for taking or making an indecent image of a child to disclose information about the victim.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Wednesday 4th November 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to implement the Hague Conventions of 1996, 2005 and 2007 and to provide for the implementation of other international agreements on private international law.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Monday 14th December 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about the release on licence of offenders convicted of terrorist offences or offences with a terrorist connection; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Wednesday 26th February 2020 and was enacted into law.
A bill to give effect to Law Commission recommendations relating to commencement of enactments relating to sentencing law and to make provision for pre-consolidation amendments of sentencing law
This Bill received Royal Assent on Monday 8th June 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to consolidate certain enactments relating to sentencing.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday 22nd October 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about the sentencing of offenders convicted of terrorism offences, of offences with a terrorist connection or of certain other offences; to make other provision in relation to terrorism; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to make provision about the police and other emergency workers; to make provision about collaboration between authorities to prevent and reduce serious violence; to make provision about offensive weapons homicide reviews; to make provision for new offences and for the modification of existing offences; to make provision about the powers of the police and other authorities for the purposes of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting crime or investigating other matters; to make provision about the maintenance of public order; to make provision about the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles; to make provision in connection with driving offences; to make provision about cautions; to make provision about bail and remand; to make provision about sentencing, detention, release, management and rehabilitation of offenders; to make provision about secure 16 to 19 Academies; to make provision for and in connection with procedures before courts and tribunals; and for connected purposes.
Ministry of Justice - Draft Secondary Legislation
| Dates | Department | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Published 8 Jun 2020, 4:23 p.m. |
Ministry of Justice | The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Section 75 – Designation of Public Authority) Order 2020 | |
| This Order designates the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements (the “IMA”) for the purposes of section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c. 47). | |||
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Published 12 Feb 2020, 2:21 p.m. |
Ministry of Justice | The Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (Remedial) Order 2020 | |
| Section 1A of the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 (c.30) (the “Act”) provides for a fixed sum of bereavement damages to be awarded to a limited category of persons in the event of a fatal accident caused by wrongful act, neglect or default. | |||
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Published 20 Jan 2020, 2:09 p.m. |
Ministry of Justice | The Judicial Pensions and Fee-Paid Judges’ Pension Schemes (Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 | |
| The Judicial Pensions Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/182) (“the 2015 Regulations”) and the Judicial Pensions (Fee-Paid Judges) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/522) make provision for the contributions payable by members of both schemes constituted by those Regulations. | |||
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Published 15 Oct 2019, 3:57 p.m. |
Ministry of Justice | The Human Rights Act 1998 (Remedial) Order 2019 | |
| This Order amends the Human Rights Act 1998 (“HRA”) to address a finding of the European Court of Human Rights of a breach of Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“Convention”) in the case of Hammerton v United Kingdom (Application no. 6287/10). | |||
Ministry of Justice - Laid Secondary Legislation
| Dates | Department | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
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Laid 13 Apr 2021 In Force 4 May 2021 |
Ministry of Justice |
Magistrates’ Courts (Amendment) Rules 2021 Parliamentary Status - Text of Legislation |
Made negative procedure |
| Regulation 7 of the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1311) (the “2020 Regulations”) provides that a creditor is prohibited from taking certain steps to enforce a debt against a debtor who is in a breathing space moratorium or a mental health crisis moratorium in relation to that debt, unless the county court or any other court or tribunal where legal proceedings concerning the debt have been or could be issued has given permission for the creditor to take that step. | |||
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Laid 13 Apr 2021 In Force 4 May 2021 |
Ministry of Justice |
Civil Proceedings and Gender Recognition Application Fees (Amendment) Order 2021 Parliamentary Status - Text of Legislation |
Made negative procedure |
| This Order amends two statutory instruments which prescribe fees that are payable in respect of certain applications. Article 2 of this Order amends the Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1053) to prescribe a £5 fee payable when bringing an appeal under regulation 38(9) of the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1311) against a decision by a debt advice provider to refuse an application for non-disclosure of a debtor’s usual residential address. Article 3 of this Order amends the Gender Recognition (Application Fees) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/758) to reduce the fee for making an application for a gender recognition certificate to £5. | |||
Petitions addressed by Ministry of Justice
| Current Signatures | Final Signatures | Title | Petition Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
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167,506 Petition Closed |
Violet-Grace’s Law - Life sentences for Death by Dangerous Driving Gov Responded - 25 Feb 2019 Debated on - 8 Jul 2019 |
15 Aug 2019 closed 1 year, 8 months ago |
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The men who killed our daughter drove a stolen a car at 83 mph in a 30 mph zone. They killed our 4-year-old daughter Violet-Grace and severely injured her nan, who has life-changing injuries. They will serve less time in prison than Violet was alive. I don’t want other families to suffer like this. |
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115,723 Petition Closed |
People found with a knife to get 10 years and using a knife 25 years in prison. Gov Responded - 14 Mar 2019 Debated on - 25 Mar 2019 |
3 Jun 2019 closed 1 year, 10 months ago |
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People are scared of the amount of knife crime with apparently very little deterent to stop people carrying knifes. |
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Departmental Select Committee
Justice Committee
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
11 Members of the Justice Committee
Justice Committee Member since 29 Jan 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 2 Mar 2020
Justice Committee Member since 11 May 2020
Justice Committee Member since 22 Feb 2021
Justice Committee: Upcoming Events
<i>At 2.30pm: Oral evidence</i><br/>Sir Jonathan Jones QC<br/><i>At 3.15pm: Oral evidence</i><br/>Tristan Kirk<br/>Joshua Rozenberg QC<br/>Pippa Woodrow<br/>
20 Apr 2021, 1:45 p.m.
Covid-19 and the criminal law
View calendar
Justice Committee: 10 Current Inquiries
Justice Committee: Previous Inquiries
Ministry of Justice Publications
Most Recent Publications
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Apr. 14 | Cornwall: Bodmin Reporting Centre | Guidance and Regulation |
| Apr. 09 | Homelessness Reduction Act: Duty to refer policy framework | Guidance and Regulation |
| Apr. 08 | Management of security at visits Policy Framework: Open estate | Guidance and Regulation |
Ministry of Justice Written Questions
Written Questions are submitted by Members of Parliament and the House of Lords to receive information or updates from a Department.
Departments are required to respond in a timely fashion and provide a response or requested information. Written Questions can compel detailed and specific information to be produced, and are frequently used as the source of news stories about the work of a Department.
Latest Written Question
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| 13 Apr 2021, midnight | Prison and Probation Service: Bullying | Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Question to the Ministry of Justice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many calls there have been to the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (a) confidential helpline, (b) early resolution helpline and (c) PAM assist helpline in each month since those helplines were established. Answered by Alex Chalk - Assistant Whip Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) takes the welfare of staff extremely seriously, which is why it supports staff to access a range of helplines and resources. The Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU) was established in August 2020 and works to support staff through a confidential helpline, mediation service and programme of assessments to surface and address unacceptable behaviour. In addition, a special investigation service is being developed to deal with the most serious cases involving bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation.
Staff can also access support from HR professionals in relation to workplace conflict through the Civil Service Early Resolution Helpline (ERH). The Employee Assistance Programme PAM Assist helpline offers counselling, support and information including signposting to external sources of support. This support can relate to a wide range of work and personal issues including trauma, bereavement, bullying and harassment, Childcare/Elder care, debt, relationships, alcohol and drug misuse and many more. There is no place for any form of unacceptable behaviour in HMPPS. Such behaviour is contrary to its core values and will not be tolerated. All allegations of unacceptable behaviour are taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken.
The volume of calls for each helpline per month received from HMPPS staff since the launch of the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit on 24 August 2020 is set out in the table below:
The breakdown of calls to the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Helpline in relation to (a) bullying, (b) harassment, (c) victimisation and (d) discrimination is set out in the table below:
(Note – not all callers will disclose precise issue of concern, and other types of issue than the four categories above may be recorded, such as unfair treatment or decision)
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